Samantha Richdale takes title, heads back on tour

Samantha Richdale and mom Kathy (caddy) during Canadian Women's Golf at Beach Grove course in Delta on May 15, 2013.

Photograph by: Arlen Redekop
, PNG

METRO VANCOUVER - Samantha Richdale didn’t have much time to savour her impressive win Wednesday at a CN Canadian Women’s Tour event at Beach Grove Golf Club.

After hoisting the winner’s trophy, accepting the $10,000 first-place cheque and sipping a celebratory glass of champagne with her parents, Richdale was off to Vancouver International Airport.

“I’ve got a flight to Seattle, then I fly from Seattle to Atlanta, from Atlanta to Charlotte and then I have a 2½-hour drive to Asheville,” the Kelowna native said following her four-shot win. “If all goes well, I’ll be there about an hour before my 1 p.m. pro-am (on Thursday).”

That’s the life of a touring pro attempting to play her way back onto the LPGA Tour. Richdale would have loved to spend more time with her parents, Glen and Kathy, but instead she raced back to North Carolina, where she played last week on the Symetra Tour, and will again this week.

Almost exactly 24 hours after holing her final putt on the 18th green at Beach Grove in Delta, Richdale will be teeing it up clear across the continent in the pro-am at the Friends of Mission Charity Classic.

Richdale actually got to spend some quality time with her parents Tuesday and Wednesday at Beach Grove. Her mom caddied for her, while her dad walked every step of the way of the 36-hole event.

“I just pushed the clubs,” Kathy Richdale said with a laugh. “I don’t give her any advice. I’m just there for comic relief. She doesn’t listen to me even on a good day.”

Her daughter wasn’t disputing that.

“We talked about a shot on one of the holes and I went with the opposite of what she suggested,” Samantha said.

Joking aside, the Richdales are a tight family and Samantha and her mom high-fived their way around Beach Grove. They had lots to celebrate. Samantha set a course record with a seven-under 65 on Tuesday and cruised to a one-over 73 in Wednesday’s final round. She had a five-shot lead to begin the day and it really was never in danger.

“It’s different,” she said of playing with a big lead. “I feel like with most of my wins I kind of came from behind. I was a little nervous out there. It was fun, I had my Mom on the bag and we just kind of enjoyed it.”

It was Richdale’s first win since 2010, when she earned the last of her three victories on the Symetra Tour. She has had full or conditional status the last three years on the LPGA Tour and is attempting to once again play her way back onto the big tour via the Symetra Tour. The top 10 players at year’s end on the Symetra Tour will earn full cards for 2014 on the LPGA Tour.

“I feel like my first three years out there I stressed myself out a lot and was thinking about the wrong things,” said the 29-year-old Richdale, who currently sits 16th on the Symetra Tour money list.

“I feel like my game has gotten a lot better and I also feel like I am maturing as a player and getting better at dealing with all of my emotions out on the course. I am excited to play the rest of this season, hopefully get another win and finish in the top 10. I feel my next year on LPGA would be a lot different than the last couple of years.”

Wednesday’s win, her first on the Canadian Women’s Tour, came with a big bonus. Richdale also earned an exemption into this summer’s $2-million CN Canadian Women’s Open in Edmonton.

Richdale’s winning score of six-under par was four shots better than runner-up Brooke Henderson, a 15-year-old amateur from Smith Falls, Ont., who this past weekend won the CN Future Links Pacific Championship at Crown Isle in Courtenay.

“I feel like I played pretty well,” said Henderson, who closed with an even-par 72 on Wednesday. “I have been striking the ball well the last week or two. Samantha played amazing, but I am happy with the way I played. I finished off the day with a couple of birdies to bring myself back to even-par.”

Two other amateurs, Augusta James of Bath, Ont., and Simin Feng of Windermere, Fla., tied for third at one-under.

The three-event Canadian Women’s Tour continues June 11-12 in Cowansville. Que.

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.